The present invention relates generally to inkjet printheads, and more particularly to a wide-array inkjet printhead assembly.
A conventional inkjet printing system includes a printhead, an ink supply which supplies liquid ink to the printhead, and an electronic controller which controls the printhead. The printhead ejects ink drops through a plurality of orifices or nozzles and toward a print medium, such as a sheet of paper, so as to print onto the print medium. Typically, the orifices are arranged in one or more arrays such that properly sequenced ejection of ink from the orifices causes characters or other images to be printed upon the print medium as the printhead and the print medium are moved relative to each other.
In one arrangement, commonly referred to as a wide-array inkjet printing system, a plurality of individual printheads, also referred to as printhead dies, are mounted on a single carrier. As such, a number of nozzles and, therefore, an overall number of ink drops which can be ejected per second is increased. Since the overall number of drops which can be ejected per second is increased, printing speed can be increased with the wide-array inkjet printing system.
Mounting a plurality of printhead dies on a single carrier, however, requires that the single carrier perform several functions including fluid and electrical routing as well as printhead die support. More specifically, the single carrier must accommodate communication of ink between the ink supply and each of the printhead dies, accommodate communication of electrical signals between the electronic controller and each of the printhead dies, and provide a stable support for each of the printhead dies. Unfortunately, effectively combining these functions in one unitary structure is difficult.
Accordingly, a need exists for a carrier which provides support for a plurality of printhead dies while accommodating fluidic and electrical routing to each of the printhead dies.
One aspect of the present invention provides an inkjet printhead assembly. The inkjet printhead assembly includes a carrier including a substrate having a first side and a second side, and an electrical circuit disposed on a second side of the substrate. As such, a plurality of printhead dies are each mounted on a first side of the substrate and electrically coupled to the electrical circuit.
In one embodiment, the electrical circuit includes a printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the electrical circuit includes an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit is mounted on the printed circuit board.
In one embodiment, the printed circuit board and the substrate both have a plurality of ink passages extending therethrough. As such, at least one of the ink passages communicates with the first side of the substrate and at least one of the printhead dies for supplying ink thereto.
In one embodiment, the electrical circuit includes a plurality of layers including conductive and non-conductive layers. In one embodiment, the conductive layers include at least one power layer, at least one ground layer, and at least one data layer.
In one embodiment, the substrate has a plurality of ink passages defined therein. As such, at least one of the ink passages communicates with the first side of the substrate and at least one of the printhead dies for supplying ink thereto. In one embodiment, the electrical circuit has at least one ink passage passing therethrough. As such, the at least one ink passage communicates with at least one of the ink passages of the substrate.
In one embodiment, the second side of the substrate is opposed to the first side of the substrate. In one embodiment, the substrate is formed of plastic, ceramic, silicon, and/or stainless steel.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of forming an inkjet printhead assembly. The method includes providing a substrate having a first side and a second side, disposing an electrical circuit on the second side of the substrate, and mounting a plurality of printhead dies on the first side of the substrate and electrically coupling the printhead dies with the electrical circuit.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a carrier adapted to receive a plurality of printhead dies. The carrier includes a substrate having a first side adapted to receive the printhead dies and an electrical circuit disposed on a second side of the substrate.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of forming a carrier for a plurality of printhead dies. The method includes providing a substrate having a first side adapted to receive the printhead dies and disposing an electrical circuit on a second side of the substrate.
The present invention provides a carrier which provides support for a plurality of printhead dies while accommodating fluidic and electrical routing to each of the printhead dies.